Vacuum cleaners having a cyclonic separator are now well known. The inlet to the cyclonic separator is often located at an upper part of the separator. Fluid drawn in through a cleaner head of the vacuum cleaner is then carried to the inlet via ducting. The ducting often impacts on the size of the vacuum cleaner. Additionally, owing to the relative locations of the cleaner head and the inlet, the path followed by the ducting is often tortuous, thus adversely affecting the performance of the vacuum cleaner.